Responding to COVID-19

On these pages you will find information for Leaders (employers, managers) and Workers to support you working through the COVID-19 response. For leaders, this includes information on responding to COVID-19 as a workplace hazard, looking after yourself and your staff (whether working from home or still in their usual settings) and supports available for business.

For workers this includes information on what you can do to reduce the impact on your physical and mental health, including specific information on working from home and working in your usual settings, where work can still be safely carried out this way.

We encourage you to stay up to date by visiting the ACT Government COVID-19 website.

Whether you’re the CEO of a large corporation, a small business owner, a sole trader or a team manager, your workplace is likely experiencing major disruptions and unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important that you look after yourself as part of your role as a leader. If you have staff, there are also things you can do, big and small, that can greatly influence their lives at this time and their ability to bounce back in the recovery period.

Topics on this page

• COVID-19 as a workplace hazard
• Looking after yourself and your workers
• Economic supports for business

COVID-19 as a workplace hazard

It’s important to keep up to date about the current heath situation through the ACT Government COVID-19 website. This information will help inform your business’ risk assessment in responding to COVID-19.

You may have some workers who are at particularly high risk of becoming seriously ill if they are infected with COVID-19. These vulnerable workers may include: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 50 years and older with one or more chronic medical conditions; people 65 years and older with chronic medical conditions; people 70 years and older; and people with compromised immune systems. It’s important to give specific consideration to these workers.

You may be supporting some employees to work safely from home. More information on how to do this is provided further below.

If you have returned to the workplace, you will have put in place measures to ensure workers work safely (e.g. personal hygiene, personal distancing and cleaning/infecting practices). More information on how to support staff who are working in the usual settings is provided further below.

More information on Work, Health and Safety and COVID-19 is available on the WorkSafe ACT website. See also Safe Work Australia COVID-19 Information of Workplaces, which provides industry specific advice.

Looking after yourself and your workers

As a leader, it is important that you also look after your physical and mental health. The advice to workers on this website is also relevant to you.

When considering how to promote and protect the mental health of your workers at this time, the Healthier Work Mentally Healthier Workplaces webpages provide useful information, including links to free online mental health programs.

The National Mental Health Commission, in conjunction with the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance, has created a series of evidence-based, easy to use guides to support the mental health and wellbeing of Australian workers and encourage mentally healthy workplaces during COVID-19. Resources have been developed for sole traders, small business, as well as medium to large business. Access these guides here.

When restrictions lift again, Healthier Work has released a COVID19 Worker Wellbeing Factsheet for workplaces on supporting worker wellbeing during pandemic recovery and transition back to the workplace.

Information on Mental Health and Wellbeing is also available on the ACT Government COVID-19 website.

Supporting work from home

For some businesses, flexible and family-friendly arrangements already include working from home and practices to support this are well established. For others, workplans and styles will need to be adjusted to accommodate this new way of working. Regardless, working from home for long periods of time brings challenges, as well as opportunities.

Use the WorkSafe ACT Working from Home WHS Checklist to assist employees in setting up their workstations at home. It is important that you also promote ways that employees can look after their physical and mental health at home (see the Workers tab for more information).

If you’re a small business, check out Beyond Blue’s Practical tips to help run your small business from home.

Supporting workers in their usual settings

If your business is operating in its usual setting, you will have put into place measures to protect the health and safety of your staff, such as ensuring that they practice good hygiene, wash their hands and observe social distancing, and that shared spaces are regularly cleaned and disinfected.

Staff may be feeling anxious about coming into their normal work setting or undertaking their normal duties. It is important to regularly check in with staff and support their wellbeing. If work hours have increased due to your staff providing frontline and/or essential services, it’s important to monitor and manage fatigue issues.

SANE Australia has released advice from one of its Help Centre counsellors on managing nervousness or anxiety around returning to workplaces during COVID. Access the advice here. Beyond Blue also provides Tips for managing back-to-work anxiety.

Economic supports for business

The ACT Government is delivering a range of measures to support local business and industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. More information on Economic support is available on the ACT Government COVID-19 website.

The ACT Government is also sponsoring free supports for local business through the Canberra Business Advice and Support Service. Find out more about these supports from the Canberra Business Enterprise Centre website.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, the way we work and the way we relate to others. It’s natural to feel a range of emotions at this time.

Topics on this page

• Looking after yourself
• Financial stresses
• Working from home
• Working in your usual setting

Looking after yourself

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about how you can Protect Yourself and your loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some tips for how you can reduce the impact on your physical and mental health. Information on Mental Health and Wellbeing is also available on the ACT Government COVID-19 website.

• Keep a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet, staying physically active and getting quality sleep:
  • Eat – Good nutrition is important for our overall health. Eat nutritious, well balanced meals and drink plenty of water. For great recipes on healthy eating, visit the ACT Nutrition Support Service
  • Move – Being physically active can go a long way to improving our overall health and wellbeing. For tips on staying active at home, visit the Heart Foundation website. Don’t forget to also activate your mind, for example, practice relaxation, meditation and mindfulness – perhaps even in the natural environment.
  • Sleep – Good quality sleep is important for our overall health. If you are not sleeping well or long enough, try healthdirect’s 10 tips for healthy sleep.
• Limit your media intake: schedule time each day to keep up to date with current news from trusted sources.
• Limit your alcohol consumption: visit the Hello Sunday Morning website for online supports if you want to change your relationship with alcohol. You can also contact Directions ACT for support if alcohol or other drugs are becoming an issue for you.
• Keep a routine and have some goals: routines sound dull, but they’re great for our mental health. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day; eat at regular times; shower and change your clothes; have regular virtual catch ups; and do your chores. This will help you to manage your days and adjust when life starts to go back to normal. Set goals for yourself and explore activities and hobbies you can enjoy. Staying curious and engaging with the natural world around us are great ways to improve our wellbeing.
• Stay connected to friends, family and workmates in creative ways: use phone calls, WhatsApp, Messenger, Skype or Facetime.

• Manage your worries: if things are getting too much or you’re not coping, seek support. For example, consult your company’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, if you have one. There are also a range of online mental health supports available for you to access. For more information see the following resources:
  • Australian Government Head to Health COVID-19 Support website
  • Beyond Blue support page Work and your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak
  • E-Mental Health in Practice Managing Your Mental Health Online During COVID-19 Factsheet

• Seek support if you find yourself in conflict with loved ones: everyone has the right to respectful, loving relationships and no one should live in fear. If you are experiencing abuse or violence it is not your fault. Support is available – for more information visit the ACT Community Services Domestic and Sexual Violence website.

Financial stresses

If you have concerns about your workplace entitlements and obligations if you’re affected by COVID-19, check out the Fair Work Ombudsman’s website. It also provides information on stand downs from work, working arrangements impacted by school closures and pay and sick leave entitlements.

If you are unwell, awaiting the results from a COVID-19 test, or are under lockdown, quarantine, isolation, or stay-at-home orders and cannot work, you may be eligible for financial assistance. For more information, visit the Financial and other support pages on the ACT Government COVID-19 website.

Working from home

In terms of the practicalities of working from home, there are things you can do to increase your health and productivity:

• Set up your workstation following the WorkSafe ACT Working from Home WHS Checklist, based on the tasks you’ll be performing.
• Don’t forget to stretch. Check out Healthier Work’s Stretch Regularly at Work resource.
• Let your employer know if you are having IT issues or require additional equipment to perform your duties.
• Talk with your employer about your workplan and any adjustments that may be required.

In terms of protecting your physical and mental health, here are some specific tips considering working from home:

• Be realistic about what can be achieved, especially if you are juggling caring responsibilities at this time.
• If you can, set up your workspace in an area of the house that you don’t use for everyday living or zone off your workspace with a room divider.
• Keep the hours you work in check and be mindful of work-life balance.
• Stay connected to your supervisor and workmates in creative ways, for example, using Microsoft Teams, Webex, Skype, Zoom or regular phone calls.

Working in your usual setting

You may now be working in the usual setting of your work again (with adjustments), or you may have never left.

You may feel worried about continuing to work in your usual setting when some people are still working from home. It’s important to manage your worries and seek help if they are getting too much. Check out the Australian Government Head to Health webpage – Maintaining good mental health – for practical ways to help you and your loved ones cope with anxiety and worry at this time.

You may also want to check out SANE Australia’s advice from one of its Help Centre counsellors on managing nervousness or anxiety around returning to workplaces during COVID. Access the advice here.

Packing a healthy lunch and snacks is a great option to ensure you look after yourself during your work day. Check out the ACT Nutrition Support Service for Healthy Lunch and Snack Ideas. If you’re a shift worker, check out their Nutrition for Shift Workers Factsheet.

If you have any concerns regarding Work Health and Safety that you feel have not been adequately responded to by your employer, you can call WorkSafe ACT on (02) 6207 3000 or visit the WorkSafe ACT website.